When using VPN and SBS 2008 cannot resolve netbios name of connecting CPU

My company is running an SBS 2008 server configured for VPN access. Our VPN clients are using Dell laptops installed with Web Server 2008. However, when we connect to the office via VPN, we cannot resolve the netbios name of the connecting computers from our SBS server. We need to be able to use the netbios name (and not have to use the FQDN or IP address) to be able to sync our SQL tables between the two computers.

When connecting the clients via VPN, from the Web Server we can ping any netbios name on our office network. However, this does not work going from our SBS server back to the VPN’d Web Server.

Do you have any ideas on how we can get the Web Server identified by the computer name from the SBS server?

What about if I give the VPN clients static IPs and manually add an “A” record in our SBS server's DNS for that instance? My thinking is from there it should be able to use the laptop name instead of IP.

What VPN service are you using, RRAS?
Are you connecting your external laptops with the vpn to the sbs or web server?
>>Dell laptops installed with Web Server 2008.
I'm not sure about this comment?
I'm assuming you are using the sbs server for internal DHCP and DNS services?
Are you using Web Server 2008 R2?
If you look into the DNS on SBS do you see the web server listed and how is it listed?
Please elaborate, so I can better understand what you are actually trying to accomplish.
I hope this is helpful, if you need further clarification or I have not understood you situation please elaborate.

WatchGuard acquires Percipient Networks to extend protection to the DNS layer, further increasing the value of Total Security Suite. Learn more about what this means for you and how you can improve your security with WatchGuard today!

>>"What about if I give the VPN clients static IPs and manually add an “A” record in our SBS server's DNS for that instance?"
Sure, that will work fine but you were asking about NetBIOS names which requires WINS or LMHosts file.

The VPN is now functioning the way we want it to. I have our SBS server setup to give static IP addresses to computers connecting via VPN. I have also created an “A” record in our DNS to point traffic to that IP address to “computername”.

Working great!

Thanks to RobWill for the help. Your blog on setting up static IPs when using VPN was great!

I recently attended Cisco Live! in Las Vegas, a conference that boasted over 28,000 techies in attendance, and a week of hands-on learning hosted by a solid partner with which Concerto goes to market. Every year, Cisco displays cutting-edge technol…

After creating this article (http://www.experts-exchange.com/articles/23699/Setup-Mikrotik-routers-with-OSPF.html), I decided to make a video (no audio) to show you how to configure the routers and run some trace routes and pings between the 7 sites…

After creating this article (http://www.experts-exchange.com/articles/23699/Setup-Mikrotik-routers-with-OSPF.html), I decided to make a video (no audio) to show you how to configure the routers and run some trace routes and pings between the 7 sites…